ESCI – 8304 – M163 Antiaircraft vehicle

Description:

M163 Antiaircraft vehicle

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a U.S . M163, a variant of the M113 personnel carrier fitted with a M61 Vulcan anti-aircraft cannon, a self-propelled version of the  M167 VADS short-range air-defense system.

This kit is a variation of kit  ESCI – 8305 – M113 A1 APC, initially released under ESCI brand, the last year of ESCI as brand, 1987, before become ESCI-Ertl. Though the change to link-and-length tracks has been othen credited to ESCI-Ertl, the M113 series which includes this kit was initially released by ESCI, but with link-and-length tracks. In fact ESCI introduced this feature in 1984, several years before partnership with Ertl.

Together with the mentioned problems of the parent kit ESCI – 8305 – M113 A1 APC, this kit introduced a new sprue, replacing one sprue of the original kit, with parts for the Vulcan machine gun and roof elements. Sadly, the Vulcan machine gun, is too much simplified, in excess, when it should have been the major attractive of the kit, it’s mouled in just two parts being very far from be a good depiction of the Vulcan.